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Men’s Interhall: Three undefeated teams highlight semifinals

In a battle of two unbeaten teams, No. 2 Alumni will clash with No. 3 Carroll in Sunday’s semifinal.

On the line is not only a chance to compete for the fabled RecSports championship t-shirts, but also a chance to set foot on the storied field in Notre Dame Stadium.

Getting to those hallowed grounds has been the goal from the beginning of the season for Carroll (4-0-1), Vermin senior captain Mike Russell said. With only one team standing in their way to the championship, the Vermin are highly motivated and excited to play, Russell said.

“This is the farthest Carroll has been in the playoffs in a long time,” Russell said. “There’s a lot of dorm pride in that.”

Coming off a 14-0 victory over Fisher, a team Carroll tied in the regular season, Russell said his team hopes to keep its momentum rolling deep into the playoffs.

Spearheaded by senior dual-threat quarterback Bobby Dorman and complemented by freshman running back Zack Dodd, the Vermin offense has put up over 16 points per game. Russell said the keys for the Vermin would be both limiting turnovers on offense and creating them on defense.

Standing in their way this week is a strong Dawgs defense, which has only allowed two scores on the season. Alumni senior captain Jeffrey Kraemer said the Dawgs’ defense is the team’s greatest strength.

“On [defense], anyone can step up and make a play at any time,” Kraemer said.

Last weekend, Alumni (5-0) recorded five interceptions en route to a 20-7 victory over Knott.

On offense, the Dawgs like to stick to the basics, Kraemer said. Alumni highlights a solid run game and consistent pass style as part of an offense that has accounted for just under 12 points per game.

The Dawgs offense will match up with a Vermin defense that has yet to allow any points in the playoffs.

While the teams have not played each other in quite some time, Kraemer said he expects the matchup to be physical.

The Vermin and Dawgs will duke it out Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at LaBar Fields.

In their semifinal game Sunday, No. 4 Keough and No. 1 Keenan will battle for the chance to play in the championship game in Notre Dame Stadium.

With a lot on the line for both teams, the matchup will feature two powerful defenses.

Keough (4-1) has only given up seven points all season. Kangaroos senior captain and quarterback Seamus Donegan said no one player has stood out on defense because different players have performed well every week. Instead, he said the defense as a whole is the key for the team.

“We have a lot of speed on defense,” Donegan said. “It’s our biggest strength, and that helps make it a lot easier for the offense.”

The Knights (5-0) also owe their defense credit for a lot of their success this season, senior captain and receiver Jeremy Riche said.

“Defense has been our stronghold,” Riche said. “It plays at a consistently high level. Our defense is what has put us over the top to win these games.”

This is a redemption game for the Kangaroos, who gave up their only loss of the season to Keenan on Oct. 6.

Donegan said he feels his team has improved since the loss.

“The guys are a total blast to work with, and we have gotten better at playing together,” Donegan said. “We have made key adjustments, especially offensively, and we’ve been working on starting every game fRiche said he also feels the Knights have made strides throughout the season.

“We’ve been competing and getting better during every single practice and game,” Riche said.

Both captains said their teams feel ready for Sunday’s game.

“Keough made it to the [semifinals] last year and we’re happy to be back,” Donegan said. “We’ve taken care of the basics in practice, and we need to bring those to the game. I’m excited to play on the practice fields, and hopefully we can make it to the stadium.”

Riche said the Knights are also optimistic about their chances.

“If we come out and play the style of football we’ve been playing all year, I feel confident we can come out with the [win],” Riche said.

Keough and Keenan will face off in the semifinals Sunday at 1 p.m. at LaBar Fields.